Ministry of Health
results for quarter one show the DHB met four of the six
health targets, and chief executive Jim Green says he is
confident the other two targets will be achieved by the end
of the financial year.

Gisborne Hospital met the Faster
cancer treatment target and the Emergency department
target, with ninety-six percent of patients in the past
three months admitted, discharged or transferred from
Gisborne Hospital’s emergency department within six
hours.

The hospital also met the Smoking target,
with 95 percent of patients who smoke being offered brief
advice and support to quit. Mr Green said the rate of
smoking advice given to those coming to Gisborne Hospital
was now excellent.

“It’s very encouraging that we are
now maintaining the achievement of this target. Reducing the
rate of smoking is the quickest way for us to improve the
overall wellbeing of everyone in Tairawhiti.”

“The
Better help for smokers to quit and the Heart &
diabetes checks primary care targets require more work
with our community colleagues,” he said.

“We will
continue to work together to ensure a lift in performance
for both these areas.”

Tairawhiti achieved 87 percent in
the Increased immunisation target. The national
target is that 90% of eight-month-olds have their primary
course of immunisation at six weeks, three months and five
months on time by July 2014, and 95 percent by December
2014. “We are tantalisingly close to this target
already,” said Mr Green. He was confident the 90 percent
target would be reached within the next quarter.

However,
TDH is behind in terms of elective surgeries performed at
Gisborne Hospital in quarter one.

“But the number of
surgeries to be made up is manageable, and we expect to
reach the target rate in the new year,” said Mr
Green.

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